Your Burden
by AlkaneMetal
Summary: (On Hold.) When a difficult situation leads Ana Colt to coordinating with George and Fred Weasley and their rebellious, trouble-making ways, how will she respond, even with the responsibility of her duties and family name? Will the burden of her family's actions withhold Ana from her friends, and even the possibility of romance?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue; Chapter One**

Ana woke, her abnormal piercing eyes bleary and uncomprehending. Slowly she sat up in bed, the ribbon that bound her hair had been lost in the tangles of her curls overnight. Carefully she extracted it, combing through her dark hair with her fingers- wincing as she pulled through a particularly large knot.  
She moved to the edge of the bed, pulling her slippers over her painted toes and standing.  
The smell of coffee had roused her; Ana distantly heard the sound of glasses clinking and chiming somewhere in the house.

The house was not her own, and although Ana was certainly welcome- as she was assured of almost daily by her sister and brother-in-law- Ana couldn't deny the lingering sense of burden she held over her very pregnant sister. The knowledge that the house's size could not permit another member, especially an inquisitive newborn nagged at her. The string of time that Ana rode on was drawing to its frayed end- once the child was born Ana would no longer be able to stay.  
The same feeling had arose not long ago in a different household- the one Ana had grown up in with her grandparents. When her grandfather had passed, Ana had felt the burden of her presence- her grandmother possessed the yearning of solitude, and Ana's intrusion denied that yearning. Although her grandmother denied it, Ana was a liability- and so on her own accord, Ana had moved out.  
Amelia, Ana's slightly less pregnant sister at the time, had welcomed her with greedy, open arms. Claiming she required the assistance of Ana- even that was short-lived.

And so, the consciousness of burden, Ana began to save what little money she was able to earn from waitressing jobs.  
Ana paused in front of the mirror, and raised her rumpled nightshirt to just below her breasts, prodding at the tender, puce-coloured bruises. She had been taken unaware when leaving the pub late last night, and was mauled by a gang of men. The bruises were the worst of what she had received- the men on the other hand, suffered far worse injuries and a nagging sense of amnesia.  
Ana dropped her shirt, and followed the scent of coffee. When she had reached the kitchen, the coffee had just finished brewing-

"You're up early." Amelia remarked tiredly from where she sat. "I'll get us some coffee-"  
"Nonsense," Ana muttered, eyeing her sister cautiously. "I can do it." With a flick of her wand, which Ana had left on the kitchen table the night before, two mugs flew from the cupboards, the coffee pot filled the mugs as though equipped by an invisible hand. The coffee-filled mugs flew to the table.  
Amelia's eyes brightened at the display- Amelia herself was not a wizard, unlike her parents and sister- but rather like the remainder of her family. Amelia was fond of magic, and would often request Ana to perform magic, even the silliest of tricks a child could perform.  
Still, Ana smiled softly at the childlike display of awe, it was nice to see Amelia with a smile.  
Pregnancy was said to be a gift to women, but it seemed the opposite for Amelia. In the time that she had become pregnant, she had withered away, any bodily fat had been consumed by whatever creature resided inside Amelia. Her skin had become grey with a sickly hue, cheeks hollowed and wrists so frail that it seemed even the slightest pressure could snap them. - But the light hadn't left Amelia's eyes, she loved the child.

"David is at work, then?" Ana inquired, taking a sip of her coffee- it was bitter, just how she liked it. Amelia sighed, and nodded. "He was gone when I woke up- he didn't say goodbye."  
"He didn't want to wake you up, I suspect." Ana assured her sister quickly. "You need plenty of rest, he knows that."  
Amelia said nothing, sighing down at her coffee.  
David, Amelia's husband, and Ana's brother-in-law, was a scrawny, but tall man. An office worker, and errand runner for the government. He was an average Muggle- although he must have some special attribute to have piqued Amelia's interest. Amelia was, before her pregnancy, an exotic-looking woman, similar to how Ana looked, with her willowy limbs, once-porcelain skin, and straight platinum-blond hair. Amelia's mysterious upbringing had attributed to that…  
But maybe it was David's simplicity that had attracted Amelia…  
Regardless of what had brought the pair together, Amelia and David were the perfect little family. Ana couldn't help but feel guilty for her intrusion.

"Ana," Amelia's voice brought Ana from her revere. Ana blinked away her musings, noticing that she had finished her cup.  
"Ana," Amelia repeated. Ana looked to her elder sister, surprised to see the shadowed expression on her sister's face. Amelia gripped the back of her seat tightly, in the other hand her mug, her teeth tightly clenched. "Go get dressed, quickly."  
Ana, frightened by her sister's sudden change in behaviour, obeyed. Within seconds, Ana had thrown off her bed clothes and pulled on a pair of jeans, shirt and jacket. When Ana entered the kitchen, Amelia had just set the phone back down on the receiver, and resumed clutching the chair and mug.

"A-Amelia?" Ana sputtered. Amelia looked to her sister, jaws clenching to contain what would be a painful grimace. "Go to the store and get me a jar of peanut butter, please. I'm hungry. The crunchy kind, okay?"  
Ana's head spun, uncomprehending. The request seemed so inexplicable with Amelia's current attitude. "Amelia- why-?"  
"GO!" Amelia threw the mug with a scream, it hit the wall, just above Ana's head. The glass mug shattered, raining down on Ana- Ana waved her wand, and the mug repaired itself. Ana had never seen her sister in such a way- she nodded frightfully and fled, spinning on her heel and Apparating on the spot.

* * *

Ana appeared next to a Muggle corner store with a loud crack. She leant against the side of the building, her heart beating in her throat. Reluctance weighed heavily on her- _I ought to head back after I get her peanut butter._  
Ana tucked away her wand and entered the corner store. A sleepy employee manned the front, greeted her drowsily.  
As Ana browsed the aisles for crunchy peanut butter, the bells above the door rang as someone entered the shop. Ana paid no mind, and selected the brand Amelia favoured. The smell of stale tobacco and liquor grew close, Ana turned her head to the person-

"Mundungus?" Ana exclaimed in surprise, she hadn't expected the dog-faced crook to ever enter an all-Muggle suburb.  
"How'sit, kid." He acknowledge, "Follow'd you here after you left in such a goddamn hurry- 'though I 'spect it was those flashin' lights an' everythin'."  
"F-flashing lights?" Ana sputtered, "What had flashing lights, Mundungus?" she demanded, panicked.  
"Dunno," he shrugged, peaking over to the single employee as he stuffed a package of nearby cigarettes into his pocket. "Somethin' that look'd bit like the Knight Bus- smaller 'though.- Anyways, ol'Sirius sent me to tell ya' 'bout some big meetin' at the 'Quarters," he informed.

Ana panicked with the information, and without a word to Mundungus she turned on the spot and Apparated. When she arrived at her sister's house, the ambulance was just driving away, and David was getting into his vehicle.  
He caught sight of her, and his face creased in further worry and agitation. "Ana… Amelia- she's-"  
David sighed, and clasped Ana's shoulder. "Amelia had a cardiac arrest, she called me and said to have an ambulance pick her up before you got home. Ana, I-I think it's better if you just left her to me for a while."

* * *

Ana attended the meeting with little vigor, and gave her report. She hardly paid mind to the discussion, all it was, was a recap of last week's meeting, and with little progression.  
She gazed sullenly down at her chipped nails, ignorant of the meeting's closure and the leave of Head Quarters.

_"She's still just a child…""…Yes, I realise." "…Well, we ought to." "What if she takes offense-""Nonsense!" _

Someone cleared their throat; Ana bleakly raised her head, acknowledging Molly Weasley's motherly smile, and Sirius's nervous expression. It was obvious he was intimidated by her solemn attitude and the dark look in her curiously coloured eyes.  
"Ana, dear, where do you sleep after doing the Order's work?"  
Ana tilted her head back, closing her eyes with a sigh. Thanks to Mundungus, everyone in the order was aware of her sister's incident, and Ana's current lack of residency. "I don't." She murmured.  
"Pardon?" Mrs Weasley furrowed her brows, confused.  
"I don't have a place to sleep, afterward I mean," Ana clarified.

Sirius looked to the girl, and with a grin he mused her hair, "Well, you're welcome to stay here then. The Weasley's will be relocating here soon and I need help making some of these rooms habitable."  
Ana looked into his grinning face, finally she shrugged. "Why not?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Review Response:**

**Hm910ya- Bonjour, ma belle amie! I've missed you! And I look forward to our conversations! What do you think of Ana so far in comparison to our last protagonist Briar? This is a bit of a bonding chapter, a bit of a filler before the coupling begins!**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Sirius gave Ana little time to adjust to her new- albeit temporary- home; immediately, upon her return to Grimmauld Place, Sirius had tossed her a broom and set her to work. Ana soon realised that the house's adornments and furniture were impervious to magic- and quite often returned her attacks.  
After being strangled, burned, and spat on, Ana had finally claimed a room for herself.

Ana fell back onto the bed and its newly washed sheets. A groan escaped her lips- Barking laughter met her ears; tiredly, Ana rolled her head towards the door, Sirius leant against the doorframe, a grin thrown over his face. "Tired?"  
"Just a bit," Ana muttered, pinching her fingers together, sarcasm layering her words like a heavy blanket. She sat up, adjusting the bandanna that held back her dark curls, and brushing off her jeans. She stood, cracking her fingers with a sigh.  
"I'd like to show you something," Sirius eyed her, a wolfish grin marring his face. He gestured for her to follow him, he led her further into the house, down the hall from her room to the last door in the hallway. Outside the door her stooped to pick up a bag that dripped a red liquid, suspiciously alike to blood. The bag smelled putrid, like a rotting corpse.  
Sirius pushed open the door, and beckoned her in- Ana hesitated a mere second before she crossed the doorway, a sound of shock falling from her mouth as she saw the beast.

"A Hippogriff!?" she exclaimed, she eyed its talons hesitantly, estimating that they were about half a foot long. Its brilliant orange eyes stared her down- its eagle head quirking to the side as it approached her cautiously.  
"You'll want to bow," Sirius injected hurriedly, pushing the small of her back. Immediately, Ana stooped into a bow, never once breaking eye contact.  
Slowly, as if unsure, the Hippogriff bent into what would be a bow, clicking its steel-grey beak. Ana tossed a beaming look to Sirius; she extended a hand to the Hippogriff, and touched it to its feathers. The Hippogriff blinked lazily, appearing to enjoy her touch.  
"His name is Buckbeak," Sirius joined her in the grooming of the Hippogriff, "He helped me get away when I was captured at Hogwarts."  
Ana hummed thoughtfully, "Amazing- there were a lot of theories of how you escaped. I remember Alice McKinnon saying how you made a Dementor fall in love with you- and made them release you."  
Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh at the prospect, "Imagine that- no, Dementors are the epitome of terror, and feed off the fears and anxieties of everyone." He shook his head darkly, "If I remember clearly, they grow a bit like fungi- I doubt a thing like that could know what love is."  
Ana turned her eyes from Sirius, running her finger down Buckbeak's mandible. "Love is a funny thing, huh…" Ana murmured inaudibly. Buckbeak opened his eyes, peering into hers.

"Well, let's feed him then." Sirius remarked, clapping Buckbeak's side. Sirius stooped over, and scooped up the bloody bag from the floor. Ana supressed a gag from the putrid odor it emitted, and clamped a hand over her nose, "You're not going to make me touch that are you?"  
Sirius's wolfish grin turned almost sinister. "It's just dead ferrets –Buckbeak's favourite."  
He extended the bag to her, and with a shallow breath, she reached her hand inside the bag- gagging as she grasped the fur of a ferret. She withdrew it from the bag, and tossed it to Buckbeak.  
Jovially, the Hippogriff caught it in his great beak and tossed it back, consuming it with one great swallow. Ana observed this, careful not to pronounce her revulsion openly to Buckbeak- she acknowledged the Hippogriff's pride, knowing that the act would offend the beast.  
Sirius pressed the bag into her hand, "Finish that up would you?- I'll be cleaning out the kitchen if you need me."  
Ana reluctantly took the bag- holding it open to Buckbeak, who dove his head straight into the bag.  
"You know, the pair of you have similar look to your eyes." Sirius pushed his head close to hers, "Or maybe it's just the colour. What've you got there- some sort of amber?"  
Ana backed away her head, flushing with embarrassment. She hardly knew the man and yet he was treating her like- like-.  
"Y-You go to the kitchen then, I'll finish up here!" she announced loudly, making a point to turn her back to him. When the door closed behind him, Ana let go of her defensive stance, shoulders falling. She patted Buckbeak's head as he finally withdrew from the bag, blood on his beak.

"Guess we're two of a kind, eh Buckbeak?" she mused, blanching as he nudged his beak against her head- smearing the ferret blood onto her hand.

* * *

The kitchen was the tidiest room in the house- and one of the less gloomy parts. Ana briefly admired the stone walling as she wiped her bloodstained palms onto her jeans.  
Sirius was almost entirely hidden in the cupboard beneath the sink, his fingers pushing up into the pipes and appeared to be pulling at something furry. He glanced up at her arrival, and pulled himself out from under the sink.  
"There's something shoved into the pipes- magic won't work-"Swiftly, he seized her hand and compared its size to his own. Admittedly her hands were that of an infant's in contrast.  
"You've got smaller hands, reach in there, would you?"  
Ana gazed to the sink and sighed. Begrudgingly, she dropped onto all fours and crawled beneath the sink- indeed her hand entered the pipe easily. She felt the furry object- Ana urgently hoped that it wasn't another dead animal as she took a firm grasp on it and yanked.  
The pipes emitted a sickening squelching sound as the object was freed. Following its removal a thick, brown, foul-smelling sludge drained from the pipes and onto Ana's upper body.  
Sirius roared with laughter as Ana hastily extracted herself, sputtering in revulsion. Ana flicked the tar from her eyes, and spat out a mouthful. She frowned up at Sirius, sending a handful his way- the sludge struck his cheek, and Sirius's laughter momentarily ceased. His large hands shot out like lightning, and ground the tar into her hair; Ana squirmed away, shrieking with laughter- he caught her firm around the shoulders, his knuckles burning harder into her scalp.  
"S-Sirius!" she gasped, shoving him away from him and attempting a scowl- only for her scowl to be corrupted by a grin. "That's going to be a pain in the ass to get rid of!" Ana moaned, flicking tar from her curls.  
"You'll manage," Sirius remarked, teasing.

Sirius reached to the floor and scooped up to object Ana had dislodged from the sink. And upon closer inspection- it appeared to be a velvet, string-drawn coin purse.  
Sirius's expression morphed into something wistful as he pulled free an untarnished silver ring from the purse. He turned it over in his hands, admiring the Gryffindor emblem that was engraved into it.  
"I'd forgotten about this," Sirius murmured, fitting the band onto his third finger. "Had this made when I was a bit younger than you- I think it was out of some sort of rebellious act." He mused, brushing away the dark strands of hair that had fallen into his face during their struggle.  
"I guess I forgot it here and Mum decided to flush it down the drain."  
A grin marked his hollowed cheeks as he removed the ring and pushed it onto her a finger of her right hand. "Take it, you're a Gryffindor aren't you?"  
Ana flushed, "N-No! This is yours- be-besides, I doubt it would fit me anyway!"  
She made to take it off, but Sirius easily brushed her hand away, and ran his wand across the ring, muttering, "Reducio," and shrunk it to her size.  
"B-But-!"  
"Think of it as a gift," Sirius cut her off with a grin, "or a reminder, which ever you prefer." Sirius mused her hair jovially, mindless of the tar, "'Sides, it'd look better on you than me."  
Ana flushed, and murmured a quiet, "Thank you."

The moment was disturbed by a throat being cleared. The pair turned, wide eyed to be caught so unprepared by Kingsley, who in turn found difficulty repressing his bemused expression, "Arthur sent me by to tell you that his family will be by sometime tomorrow, as well as to inform you that tonight's meeting has been called off. Goodnight." He announced, in his deep voice.  
Kingsley turned, his single earring swinging as he peered out to Ana from the corner of his eye, "Nice ring," before he vanished down the hall, door banging shut with a silent click.  
Ana flushed a deeper red, and gazed down at her new ring, admiring its gleam. She then noted that it was, _in fact,_ the cleanest part of her body.

* * *

**So I'm still working on Ana's character. I figure her to be a bit more humble, and a little shy.- She definitely a bit of a nerd, which you'll see once she resumes school!  
Also, bonding time! The Weasley's are arriving in the next chapter- Stay tuned for more!**

I do not own Harry Potter.

**-AL**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**_BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG._**

A distinct thumping sound woke her. Panicking- Ana rolled from her bed, landing onto the floor with a soundly _THUMP_, groaning Ana grabbed her wand and emerged from her room to investigate the sound. From the top of the stairs, Ana ogled the pair of twins dragging their luggage up the stairs, creating a noise loud enough to wake every inhabitant of the household.  
"_Honestly_," Ana moaned, she brandished her wand, bewitching their trunks to float up and above their heads, and up the stairs. The ginger-haired pair exchanged a look, and Disapparated on the spot, and Apparated on either side of her with a loud _CRACK_. Ana winced, startled. She looked to them as they flanked her, eyeing the pair.  
"I'm Fred," said the one to her right.  
"And I'm George," said the other. The pair exchange Cheshire grins, and shook both of her hands at once. Ana blinked in a way that suggested their stupidity.  
"_I know,_" she responded, exasperated. "I'm in your class you know."  
Their looks of surprise spoke lengths, and Ana bit back her wounded feeling- it was obvious the pair were unfamiliar with her. She noted their brow raise, and the exchange of confused glances.  
"I'd figure you'd be out of school by now," Fred remarked, "you look old."  
Ana blanched, "Thanks."

Ana started back to her room, pausing momentarily to call over her shoulder, "_And I_ _know_ _which is which,_" she expressed, exasperated, "So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't lie to me."

Ana did not miss their exchanged looks of surprise.

* * *

"Mornin'." Sirius greeted her weakly. His expression was that of someone who had gotten very little sleep.  
Ana patted his shoulder as she passed to fetch a mug of coffee. "Okay, mate?"  
He slouched lower, resting his head onto his folded arms, "Kreacher was lurking around outside my room, his muttering kept me up half the night, even when I ordered him to shut it."  
"The only reason he's so disloyal is because you treat him like an old rag you can't throw away," Ana interjected, half scolding him. Ana had only seen Kreacher in passing- once or twice as he skulked through the kitchen during a meeting- only to be thrown out by Sirius the second he had crossed the doorway.  
"He _is_ an old rag I can't toss." Sirius ground out, stealing her mug and claiming it with a loud, and languish slurp.  
Ana sighed, and allowed it to pass. She went back to the cupboard, and fetched a second mug-

_CRACK_!

She dropped the mug with a shriek, which turned into a groan as she waved her wand to repair it.  
"You two…" she groused, resisting the urge to bare her teeth and growl.

"Hello again," Fred cooed, flicking a curl.  
George peered down at her jeans with a furrow on his brow, "Where's your pajama's? - I liked the little bird things on them."  
"They were penguins," Ana muttered, embarrassed. "Flightless birds that live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere."

"Great, anyways," Fred dismissed her, "We've figured out who you are."  
"Oh?" Ana feigned lack of interest, turning to fill her newly repaired mug. In truth, she was curious to what they had come up with.  
Fred grinned as though he had just won an award, "You're that Colt girl, aren't you? Those Death Eaters' daughter!"

Ana paled rapidly, she set down her mug because she shook so terribly the coffee sloshed dangerously over the sides. She looked down, and muttered a quick, "Excuse me," and strode away- leaving the three men to themselves in the kitchen.  
Fred looked surprised at her reaction, George carrying an almost-guilty look. Sirius hauled his head up from his arms long enough to say, "You dolts, her parents were chucked away before she even learned their names."

* * *

Ana lent up against the railing that overlooked the floor below, she was pale- more so than usual. Sirius started up the stairs, approaching her cautiously. He reached out a hand and clasped her shoulder, "Okay?" he inquired.  
Ana shrugged, and plastered an unconvincing smile onto her face, "Yeah, I-I'm okay now. It's just y'know..?"  
Sirius clicked his tongue and attempted to relate, "I know what it's like to have parents like… like _that_."  
Ana chuckled humorlessly. "I don't," she responded, "_After all_, I was only an infant. I can't help but feel ashamed of them, and to be exclusively known as the daughter of a couple of Death Eaters. Even when I'm involved in all _this!"_ She threw her arms up in exasperation; Sirius remained silent as her arms dropped and slapped against her jean-clad thighs.  
"Speaking of family," said Sirius, "have you heard anything from your sister?"  
Her slouch became deeper, and she sighed. "Nah. S'not like they can just call me- and owls are nothing more than nocturnal birds to them."  
"You ought to go see them." He suggested. Suddenly Sirius's expression brightened, "I'll go with you!- As Snuffles of course."  
Ana hesitated; was it worth the risk to bring him along? The prospect of support was certainly appealing… And besides, what harm could it do? It was doubtful that someone would recognise Sirius of an Animagus in a Muggle suburb. "I-I guess we could. But Mrs Weasley will be against it…"  
Sirius deflated a bit, but his brilliant grin remained, "I'll figure it out!- Oh, I heard somebody calling me now, we'll talk about it later."

Sirius ruffled her hair as he passed, hopping down the stairs with a skip in his step. The second Sirius was out of ear-shot a loud _CRACK_ sounded next to either of her ears.  
"Do my ears deceive me?-" Fred cooed into her left ear.  
"-Or are you planning a get-away with ol' Snuffles." George finished into her right, dangling a flesh-coloured string from his fingers. Ana tossed the pair a mistrustful glower, "What of it?" she responded aggressively.  
"We can help you," George responded cheerfully, "for a price of course."

Ana faltered- aid could be beneficial. "Depending what the cost is."  
Fred grinned toothily, "We're not asking for Galleons, love. Rather we're asking to borrow your brains."  
At Ana's look of confusion, George hassled to explain, "You're brilliant- top of the class, aren't you? So we figured you could help us sort out the mechanics of it all."  
"Oh is that all?" Ana smiled, relieved.  
"Yeah, alright." She agreed, extending her hands- Fred and George shook her hands, both sharing a crafty grin.  
"Welcome to the business."

* * *

"Snuffles!" Ana scolded quietly as the large mutt yanked on the leash yet again. "At least act like a dog, would you?"  
Snuffles gave a low bark in response, slowing his steps. To most, it looked like a mere woman on a walk with her dog- even those with a trained eye would see nothing out of the ordinary, unless of course they stuck a hand down the front of her top and fished out her wand from where it was cleverly hidden.  
The pair had reached the suburbs where Amelia and David's house was located, and were quickly making their way up the walk and to the small house.  
The lawn looked as though it had been freshly cut, the hedges were trimmed and the beginnings of a swing set were being put up. It was as if Ana had never left.

Snuffles felt the pull on the leash as Ana suddenly paused in the middle of the driveway, he turned to her, nudging her thigh encouragingly. Ana inhaled sharply, and started once more toward the door. She took the time to appraise the chipping paint of the door, her hand poised to knock-  
Sirius nudged her thigh again, releasing a soft growl. Ana exhaled, finally knocking. She stood there for a full minute, feeling foolish. She had lived in the house for just over a year, and here she stood, rapping on the door as tentatively as she would had it been a stranger's home-  
The door swung open, and a hassled looking David appeared in the doorway looking over his shoulder. He froze for a full second as he turned to face her; his bright blue eyes travelled down her frame, as if inspecting her for injuries, when it fell upon the dog a grin sprawled across his thin face.

"Hey," she greeted weakly, raising her brows in a poor attempt at sheepishness. David rolled his eyes skyward, and held the door open wider, beckoning her in.  
"She's been wondering when you were going to come by to visit." He told her, as she let herself in.  
Ana followed David down the hall, unhooking Snuffles' leash and allowing him to trot in after her.

The woman who sat in a kitchen chair, holding an infant was not Amelia. Or rather, did not have the appearance of Amelia. Ana paused in absolute shock as the woman looked up from the infant and grinned the same smile as Amelia. It was as if a stranger had stolen Amelia's grin- for Amelia was a pregnant, long haired, hollowed-faced woman. But this person- _who ever she was_- had her white-blonde hair hacked to below her ears, with a full face- and very pink cheeks. She also had a baby.

_"What the fuck…"_ Ana whispered, inaudible to all but Snuffles, who looked to Ana with a reproachful look. The woman –_Ana refused to call her Amelia-_ spotted the dog, and the grin vanished. The woman held the infant protectively against her full bosom. "Don't let that beast near my baby!" she shrieked.  
Snuffles' ears fell back against his thick head, and his reproachful look fell onto Amelia.

"N-no, Sir- _Snuffles_," Ana corrected herself hastily, "He's uh- he's of _my_ world. Y'know." Ana's shoulders raised and fell, "A wizard dog, I guess. He's got the intelligence of a human."  
The woman relaxed slightly, and beckoned Ana closer. "Come meet him," she called.  
Ana hesitated, but approached the woman. She stooped to look the infant in the face, surprised to see that he was very large for a newborn. "What's his name?"  
"Alan," the woman pronounced proudly, "Alan Andrew Adamson."  
Ana smiled funnily, "Triple-A, in other words. He- when was he born?"  
"July twenty-third, a few days after my heart attack."

Ana's heart jerked in her chest, and her brows furrowed with confusion. "Then he'd only been seven months old, he'd be premature- he should be in hospital care- he…"  
Ana's bizarrely coloured eyes full upon Amelia's form, analyzing the plumpness all across her body that she had lacked when pregnant, the fullness of her cheeks and wrists, the sudden colour. Then she looked to baby, who looked as if he was already a few months old.  
She began to laugh as a jolt of realisation struck her. She began to laugh so loud and heartily, shocking both David and Amelia, who stared at her as though she was insane. Snuffles' odd expression of his muzzle creased up –as though in thought- relaxed, as he too understood.

Ana's laughter died down, and she wiped away a jovial tear. Alan had woken up during Ana's round, and peered up at her with David's startling, inquisitive blue eyes. Ana grinned down at the infant, and brushed away a blonde curl from his forehead.  
Ana chuckled heartily, "Your son is a wizard."

* * *

**Ehm- taa daa! Triple-A is born! Also, I've been really thinking about Ana's character, and I'll revoke about what I said about her being shy. I find it much more fun to right her as an awkward, albeit clever character! There's a lot of situations I could stick her in if I made her a bit awkward, and it'll be great to embarrass her! *insert maniacal laughter here* So, tell me, how is everything progressing?**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


	4. Chapter 4

**Review Response-**

**Hm910ya- I'm glad!- But I'd like to point out that her parents are not dead, but are in fact, in Azkaban. If I create a sequel _-I'm getting a bit ahead of myself already, I apologize-_ I'd like to make Triple-A an avid part of the story. Merci pour votre amour, ami!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

David looked as though he were about to faint, quickly, he seated himself on an armchair. "He's a what?"  
"A wizard!" Ana exclaimed, a fog of her grin still present on her face. "This isn't just a coincidence, he'll be casting spells in no time!"  
Amelia looked absolutely elated, "Amazing! So do these things have a habit of skipping a generation?"  
Ana shrugged carelessly. Amelia beamed down at her son, and brushed back the blond curls before grinning over to her sister, "So you'll be around lots to help, right?"  
"I can't," Ana murmured, her voice quiet. "School is going to start in a month and my- uh- work- isn't going to let me have a lot of free time."  
Amelia's face fell, "But…" her face creased with sudden anger, "You're still a kid! Why are they keeping such a tight rein on you?!- So much so that you can't even see your own sister and nephew!"

Ana took a cautious step back, her thigh brushed against Snuffles' fur. The pair shared a look, obviously neither had expected this turn of events.  
"Amelia," Ana began patiently. "I'm an adult in my World. And right now is a dangerous time- for both of us now. My World is on the brink of- of corruption, and it's risky for me to even be here- they could use you against me if it was made known that you were my family."  
"Who is _'they!?'"_ Amelia cried out, exasperated. Alan had begun to cry, unsure of the situation and volume of which they were speaking in. Amelia impatiently passed the infant off to its father, too aggravated to attempt to soothe the child. David took Alan, hurrying off to the nursery with the child in his hands- fleeing.  
Ana chuckled dryly, "That's the thing, _we don't know_. Anyone could be our enemy."  
"Ana!" Amelia exclaimed angrily, "Who is _'we?'_ Are –are you in trouble? I can help you."

Ana sucked in a breath, and looked down at Snuffles, who looked as though he very much wanted to follow David's course of action and flee. Ana turned a crooked look to her elder sister, taking in every change- admittedly, the change suited her. She seemed so much happier.  
"I won't be able to see you for a long time after today, Amelia." Ana decided finally, "It's much safer that way."  
Amelia looked as though she could cry. Sullenly, she nodded and extended her arms out to Ana- Ana clasped her arms around her elder sister, and squeezed her tight for what could be a final time.  
"I don't know what's happening," Amelia admitted aggressively into Ana's ear, "but you're an- an adult now, I guess. I trust you not to leave the Colt-family line bloodless."  
Ana smiled at that, "Grandma's still kickin' it, you know."  
"Grandma!" Amelia cried incredulous, "She's a damn right nutter!"

Both sisters' laughed at the expense of their family, embracing each other tightly. When they withdrew, laughter suddenly ceased, and Amelia wiped away a tear. "I love you."  
"I love you too," Ana murmured. The sister's shared a gaze- all until Amelia broke out into tears, collapsing onto the sofa in a fit. Ana smiled softly, touching the small of Amelia's back briefly.  
She made her way to the nursery, where David had put Alan down for a nap, and was now hovering lovingly over the crib.

"David," Ana called for his attention, he looked up from the crib. Ana spared a grin, "Go fix my mess would you?"  
David nodded loyally, pushing up his squared rims. As he went to pass her, Ana caught his shoulder, and looked him firm in the face, "Take care of them both okay?"  
David furrowed his brows in confusion, but he nodded nonetheless and as he opened his mouth to question her, Amelia yelped out a loud cry of anguish. David hurried off without another word.  
Snuffles padded in as soon as David left, his grey eyes looking tiredly up at Ana. "We'll go in a moment, Sirius." Ana promised quietly.  
She stooped over the crib, Alan peered up at her restlessly, having stopped crying.  
"I hope to see you again, little guy." Ana murmured affectionately. Although Alan had seeped the energy from his mother, and caused her great distress, Ana's resentment for the child had faded upon meeting him. She stooped down into the crib, and placed a soft kiss onto Alan's forehead, his curls having once again fallen onto his forehead.  
"Goodbye," she murmured, stepping back from the crib and placing a hand on Snuffles' collar. With a loud crack, the woman and the dog vanished into nothingness.

* * *

"Oh good, you're back," George murmured in relief as he opened the door. "Mum's gone ballistic searching for you Sirius. We told her that you've been up in the attic looking at some old school things- she's laid off a bit since then."  
Sirius, who had transformed back from his Animagus form, nodded hastily, and followed the sound of Mrs Weasley's destruction in the kitchen.  
Ana leant against the hallway's wall, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit her. Repressing her emotions had certainly taken everything from her- but, in truth, Ana felt surprisingly buoyant.  
"You okay?" George questioned, eyeing her cautiously. Ana beamed a smile, "I'm absolutely perfect, thanks. What did you need my help with?"  
George grinned, "Just about everything- we're doing a bit of experimenting with Skiving Snackboxes- sweets that make you ill, the idea is it bite one end off to make yourself ill enough to skip classes, and while you're being ushered to the Infirmary, you eat the other half and enjoy a free period."  
Ana paused for a solid second, her face mildly contorted with surprise, "That's… actually a really good idea."  
George grinned unblushingly, "Fred and I've always had these ideas- and now that we have the funding we can put our ideas to the test."  
"Funding?" Ana pondered aloud. From what she knew, the Weasleys were extremely poor. "From where?"  
George faltered, looking 'round. His face neared hers- his lips almost touching her ear- George's voice dropped to a low whisper, "I suppose I ought to tell you since we're business partners. So long as you promise not to tell anyone, _especially _Mum."  
Ana blinked nervously, pressing her back into the wall as firmly as she possibly could to maintain breathing space. His proximity left her abnormally twitchy. "I promise not to tell a soul," she replied honestly, her hand raising as though she were to pledge her honour.  
George's grin grew, his hand outstretched to conceal his mouth from possible on-lookers. "Harry gave us his Triwizard earnings."  
"Harry Potter, you mean?" Ana exclaimed softly, "Blimey, I figured he was pretty well in with your family-"

"Harry? Did I hear you say something about Harry?" a voice from above called. Ginny Weasley slid down the banister to the pair, who quickly broke apart. Ginny's large brown eyes were curious as she eyed the pair, "What're you two muttering about so secretively? And what's this about Harry?"  
Ana swore beneath her breath, she had forgotten that the entire Weasley family had come to stay for the rest of the summer- the house will certainly be a lot livelier. _Sirius ought to be ecstatic._  
George straightened, an impish grin sprawled across his handsome face, "I was just telling Ana about your crush on Harry."  
"Oh, that," said Ginny, briskly, "I don't like Harry that much anymore. I'm actually dating-"She halted suddenly, looking as though she had been forced to swallow an old sock.  
"What?" George crowed sharply, "What's this about dating?"  
"Nothing!" Ginny shrieked fearfully, pounding back up the stairs.  
George cursed aloud, "Ginny! - Damn it- FRED! GINNY'S GOING OUT WITH SOMEONE!"  
There was a loud roar somewhere in the house- which was easily overwhelmed with Mrs Black's shrieks of rage. Ana heard a loud _CRACK_, and saw that George had Apparated. Ana waved her wand tiredly, and the curtains for Mrs Black's picture swept shut, effectively silencing her before she could wake the other portraits.  
Ana turned on her heel, and padded softly up the stairs and to her room. Dully, she removed her layers of clothing, pulling a fresh set of pajamas from her trunk before she collapsed into her bed. She lay there, foggily aware of the crashes and shouts- Mrs Black's screeches, and the sound of feet pounding past her door. Slowly, the noise became a dull pounding in her head, and Ana drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Ana's dream was bizarre- she sat in a cauldron of some thick, murky goo, with giantess who gave the impression of a giant Amelia, cried into her hands above. To which, George handed her a pink-wrapped candy, and when she opened it Mrs Black's screams swept over her with a freezing chill.-

Ana have a startled gasp, her eyes popped open and immediately her hand flew to her bedside table for her wand.  
"Rise and shine!" Two voices sang. Her covers lay in a pile on the floor as Fred had fluently yanked them from her grasp.  
Ana gave the two a nasty look, to which Fred cheerfully chimed, "Breakfast!"  
"What in bloody hell are those?" inquired George, pointing to her pajama bottoms. Ana blushed furiously, "They're ghosts."  
George peered curiously as the blob-like white splotches with grinning faces, "They look like bed sheets."  
"_Muggle_ ghosts," Ana corrected herself impatiently. "And why the hell are you two here?"  
"Ooh, grouchy," Fred teased, "We're in the room across the hall to yours, and we decided to ensure that you have the most important meal of the day!" Fred grinned cheekily.  
Ana the two an irritated look, and stole the sheets from the floor. She yanked them over her head and growled out, "Go away."  
Fred tutted, snatching her bare ankle- Ana felt a pull from her bellybutton, and a twist- the sheets slipped from her grasp.-

Ana landed on the kitchen floor with a loud _THUMP_. A pained groan fell from her lips, and she knew immediately from the throb from her side that her hip bone was going to bruise.  
"Fred! George!" Mrs Weasley scolded shrilly, "That isn't a way to wake someone!- Ana, dear, you're alright, yes? What would you like for breakfast?"  
"Coffee, thanks." Ana muttered from the floor.  
Ana brushed away George's attempts to help her up as Mrs Weasley tottered over to the stove. Ana dragged herself up from the stone flooring, using the table as leverage. Ronald Weasley ogled her over his cereal as she fell into a chair beside Sirius while Ginny and Hermione Granger muffled their giggles. Mrs Weasley teetered off to the stove to tend to the bacon while Fred and George attempted to balance as many slices of egg and toast onto their plates as possible.  
Ana watched the pair with distaste for a second before she noticed Sirius's head drooping dangerously into his bowl of cereal.  
"Sirius, mate?" Ana nudged him awake. Sirius ignored her- his head dropping fully into his bowl with a quiet _splat._  
Ana gave an agitated yawn, "Fine, drown in your milk then."  
Ana accepted the cup of coffee Mrs Weasley set before her, and nudged aside the plate of toast Mrs Weasley had also tried to give her over to Fred and George.  
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley," she murmured, distractedly downing her cup in a few gulps, "I'm going to go feed Buckbeak."  
She pushed up from the kitchen table, snagging the rotting bag of dead rats from where it sat in the corner of the kitchen.  
Ana started her way up the stairs from the basement, winding her way up on the old, twisted mahogany staircase, all the way to the top floor. Halfway down the corridor, a low voice croaked out from the shadows.

_"Missus Colt, have you been freed from that ghastly place?"_  
From the shadows emerged an old House Elf, who wore a mouldy old towel as a loin cloth. _"No.. Not the_ _true Missus Colt- an impersonator perhaps? Or Missus Colt's young?"  
_Ana gave a start, taking a tentative step away from his bulbous, scrutinizing eyes with distaste.  
_"Oh yes, Missus Colt would be severely ashamed to see her young in such unfavorable company Kreacher's master. Kreacher wonders if the child is as loyal as his master assumes?"_  
Ana merely glared down at the foul House Elf, it stared up at her for a second longer before slowly striding past muttering beneath its breath.  
Ana hurried into the room at the end of the hall, and swung the door open. Angrily, she tossed the rotting bag onto the straw-laden floor. Without so much as a look to Ana, Buckbeak lunged for the bag.  
Ana turned away, and peered into the nearest mirror, which happened to be on a lopsided dresser. She gazed at her reflection, inspecting every inch of her flesh.  
Surely she didn't look as precisely similar to her mother as Kreacher made it out to be- Ana had never seen a picture of her parents before, as her grandparents had chucked all evidence of the couple from their home.  
Ana turned her head side to side, amber eyes sliding across her reflection and taking in every individual beauty spot.  
Mixed feelings arose inside Ana- she was pleased with how she appeared- but at the same time, Ana hated the idea of sharing a single trait with her mother.  
Maybe she ought to start wearing her glasses again? Or her old shapeless clothes?- No, Amelia had chucked those clothes the second she had saw them.- The glasses would have to do.

"What're you doing?" a voice mused from behind.  
Ana's hand fell to her wand instinctively- George grinned at her, and appeared next to her in the mirror, and pulling a funny face. Ana cracked a small smile, "Nothing- just- ah- Kreacher had said something and I was checking..." She trailed off, leaving her explanation open-ended.  
"Don't worried about what that old toe-rag says," George dismissed it, a blush began to blossom around his neck, "You look fine to me."  
Ana tried her hardest not to beam at him, instead turning her shy look to Buckbeak, who was cleaning the blood from his feathers.

"Mum said we'll be cleaning out the library today," George informed her, stiffly attempting to keep up the conversation. "Do you –er- like books much?"  
Ana grinned, "I do, I reckon about half my trunk is filled with old history and spell books."  
George brightened considerably, "D'you know many curses then?"  
Her grin grew almost maniacal as she nodded, "I have a real nasty one that makes your tongue fly from your mouth and lick your toes. Donald Bigby from Ravenclaw reckons he could taste his own toe-jam for months afterwards. George bellowed with laughter, "You've got to teach me that!-"  
"Oi, love birds!" Fred crowed from outside the room, "Hurry up! Mum'll crack us a nut if we're not down there in five!"

* * *

**Abrupt ending, I know, I know...  
Over two thousand five hundred words in this chapter! (_-Wipes sweat from brow-)_**

**Rate and Reviews are welcome ;D**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_The library was an absolute hazard._ Ana swept the sweat from her brow mindlessly, slouched over what seemed to be the _millionth_ book she was to inspect for "dark" aspects. The rest, excluding Hermione, had given up long ago- even Mrs Weasley had thrown in the towel. Ana was sure Hermione was lost somewhere along the books just as she was.  
Two individual piles of books stacked around Ana like towers- one pile was filled with ordinary books, many with great adventures and vast histories inside. The _other_ pile consisted of bigoted novels, _How To's_ on decapitating House Elves, recipes using House Elves as primary ingredients, and a range of dark spells that were long ago made illegal.  
Ana closed the book she was skimming with a sigh, and tossed it into the "good" pile. She turned to the book shelf and withdrew another book. In likeness to the others it was bound in expensive leather, drawn shut with a string. Ana turned it over in her hands, unable to find a title. She shrugged, and flicked the book open, and skimming the pages. What was bizarre to her, was that the book was handwritten.  
Ana peeked over the row of books superstitiously, searching for Hermione's frizzy head- when all was clear, Ana tucked the book away inside her jacket, vowing that she was only _borrowing_ it.

* * *

"-And so we tried to mix the Stink Sap with the Spleenwart like you told us to do for the B.O. Bon-Bons, but it sort of… well, exploded." Fred explained pathetically.  
Ana quietly closed the door behind her, gaping at the bottle-green slime that covered every inch of the room, including its two inhabitants.  
"Did you cap it?" she probed, almost rhetorically. It was obvious what the mistake was- and from the sound of crunching beneath her boot, it sounded as though the explosion had caused every glass object in the room to shatter.  
George looked to her feebly from beneath a layer of slime, "Were we not supposed to?"  
Ana shook her head faintly, and brought out her wand from her pocket. "Scrougify."  
With the slime gone, and the glass crunching alarmingly below her- Ana waved her wand a second time and muttered, "Repairo."

"Let's try again," Ana decided, stooping to gather the supplies from the Potions' Kit. To which Fred and George looked to her gratefully.

* * *

"Lists are here," Fred moaned gloomily, "Just ours though- we ought to head out today and get it."  
George looked over his list, an ugly look blossoming over his face, "-Damn, look at all these texts for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Mum'd be bankrupt if we couldn't afford this on ourselves."  
"Quiet," Fred remarked softly in undertone, flashing a heavy look to Ana. George flushed, a gloomy shadow erecting over his abnormal expression- quite unsuited to his persona.  
Ana pretended to not have heard a word, staring as though transfixed down at her school list. Ana felt slightly guilty, knowing that the Weasley's were so poor off, when she herself had been shamelessly exploiting the mounds of gold in her own bank account left to her by her parents.- They didn't need it after all, for they were far too busy rotting away in their cell in Azkaban.

"Let's head off to Diagon Alley, then." Ana decided, crinkling the list in her hand. "I ought to change first, though- just a moment."  
She sped off without a second glance to the twins, whose looking fell sharply onto her backs. Ana hurriedly closed her bedroom door behind her, and released her repressed expression. She deftly avoided her reflection in the full-bodied mirror, as she stooped over her trunk to retrieve her robes and squared frames. Quickly, she tugged the robe over her like a shawl, tied up her hair, and forced the glasses over her face.

She left the room with a renewed vigor, cheerful with her old appearance. She once again approached Fred and George in the entrance way, both whom looked up upon her return.  
"Mum said it's okay to go, so long as we're careful- WAH!" Fred exclaimed, nearly falling back in surprise. "You're like a bloody Kelpie!"  
Ana bit back a sharp retort, and merely pulled her boots on, ignoring their piercing looks. "Let's head out then."

* * *

"Fred and I were thinking of buy that building over there for our joke shop," George told her, quite loudly to be heard over the stream of chatter and shouts from a group of women who had just emerged from _Witches and Wizards Wear._  
The building was decrepit, most of its shingles had fallen to the street below, or hung very loosely from the roof, the windows either boarded up, or severely cracked.  
"Well…" Ana faltered, watching George's expression carefully for any offense. "It certainly needs some work, but I'm sure you two can manage it."  
George beamed, looking as though she had given him a treat. "It costs more than it looks; but if our Skiving Snackboxes sell well when they're finished, we'll be able to buy and restore it with ease."  
"I suppose we'll just have to perfect them soon, eh?" Ana responded with a smile, adjusting her frames importantly.

"Georgie! Ana! Check out these brooms!" Fred hollered. George and Ana speedily met at Fred's side; Fred and George pressed their faces to the glass, steaming it up with their breath.  
"Woah," Ana exclaimed rigorously, "the new Silver Arrow model 1A! Supposed to have a stabilizer built in for steady flying. What I would _do_ to fly one of those around…"  
George and Fred looked to her in wonder. "Are you a Quidditch fan?" asked Fred, an expression of awe on his face. Ana shrugged undecidedly, "I like to watch, yeah. But I've never really had anyone to play with- I really love flying, I have my old broom tucked away in my trunk somewhere."  
Fred and George shared a look, and broke away from her for a second, just out of earshot. Ana observed the pair with a concerned expression as the two exchanged what looked to be heated words of an argument. The words led to a slight pushing and shoving- of which led to more heated whispers. When the two drew back, George returned with a pleased look on his face.  
He hooked an arm around her shoulders, a blush rising on his neck as he did so.  
"Ana, how about I teach you the basics of how to play Quidditch and some moves when we're back at Hogwarts?"  
Ana blinked, startled by his abrupt immediacy and invitation. But, nonetheless, she grinned toothily. "That'd be great, actually."  
The gloating grin George shot to Fred went unnoticed.

* * *

**So, a bit short. A filler chapter with a bit of Ana-slash-George here.  
R&R!**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"…And so Madam Maxine sent Dumbledore a message, which we were able to secure- thankfully- and it says that she's returned to France. Hagrid has yet to send us a letter."  
"So the giants are a no-go then?" Tonks inquired, her hair was a gloomy dark blue which fell dankly as she leaned heavily onto the table, exhaustion clear on her face.  
"Looks that way," Mad-Eye snarled out- his electric blue eye swivelled to peer at her.

Ana stared intently down at her cup of coffee, the dregs of coffee remains rested in the bottom of the cup, long since drained. She had very little to say throughout the entirety of the meeting- other than the briefest request for another cup, or to inquire the time.

"So we'll begin on the schedule for monitoring Harry Potter." Lupin began, "Dagley says someone else ought to watch him this week- figures the Ministry is getting suspicious with all the breaks from work he's been taking."  
Ana briefly looked up from her cup to the man as he stood, slapping a sheet of parchment down onto the table. She gazed back down to her cup. She had chosen the seat beside him, mostly because Mundungus' snoring was beginning to grate on her nerves. Sirius- who sat just to the left of her- found the smell of stale tobacco putrid to his very sensitive nose.  
"Who'll take the first shift then?" Tonks queried, knocking over an inkwell as she reached for a quill to dip in it.  
"Potter is getting antsy as of recently," Moody growled suddenly, "I think we should send in someone to calm his nerves."  
There was a sudden shift to the table, excepting Mundungus' snores, all fell into a stiff silence. At this Ana rose her head- to which many eyes speedily turned away from her. Ana glanced to the other members, all whom seemed to be avoiding her eyes.  
"Oh, for Gods' sake." Mrs Weasley snapped irritably- she had been on nerves end since Mundungus had stepped into the kitchen, and had been tossing the dog-eyed man dirty looks since. "She's a child yet! We can't send her to monitor Harry!"  
Ana frowned heavily, "I'm not a child, Mrs Weasley. If the Order needs me to do something, I ought to do it!"  
"It's not safe!" Mrs Weasley cried. "Who's to say you'll be able to defend yourself and Harry if the time calls for it?"  
Ana pushed up from her seat quite suddenly causing the chair to topple over. A flush a fury washed over her, and her face flushed red with wrath. "I can handle myself just fine! And I'll be damned if I let anyone insult my prowess!"  
Sirius put a hand over her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her, "We're not doubting your abilities, Ana. It's just some of us-"he shot a meaningful look to Mrs Weasley, "-don't think it's wise to potentially expose you to the Ministry and have you marked as suspicious."  
"I'm prepared for that, Sirius!" Ana cried, frustrated, "Dumbledore figured I was good enough to join- and he knew I'd be equipped to take on any prosecutions thrown at me!"  
"_I _don't doubt that," Sirius stressed, impatiently brushing back the dark strand of hair that had fallen into his face.  
Mrs Weasley, who had grown very red in the face threw up her hands, "_Yes, yes,_ we ALL know how much you believe in her- but think of the consequences she could face!"  
Sirius and Mrs Weasley both exchanged heated looks- Sirius's grip on Ana grew almost painfully tight, as if he was restraining himself rather than her. Lupin gave an audible sigh, and seated himself, running a tired hand over his face.

"Shut up, the lot of you," said Moody, "We'll put Mundungus on watch- it's about time he did something for us- Lupin, write his name down."  
Ana grit her teeth, and shoved away from the table- she all but kicked open the kitchen door, slamming it shut just as a fleshy ear skittered from sight.  
At this Ana clenched her fists, knowing the rest of the household had been listening in on Mrs Weasley's doubts of her abilities. She was filled with fury with her own uselessness to the Order- she had joined because she figured she would be of use to people!  
She snagged her leather jacket from the troll-leg stand- toppling it over in the process. It fell to the floor with an alarming bang; Ana felt reprieve from her pent up aggression, which increased as the curtains to Mrs Black's portrait flew open, and she began to shriek in bloody fury.  
Ana went to the door, slamming it behind her with more vigour than she should have, tasting a surge of satisfaction for her recklessness.  
She took to the empty street, inhaling the evening air- the fury subsided just enough to allow the thought of _'What now?'_ to break forth.  
Ana raised her chin to the slowly darkening sky. In the center of the street she stood, allowing the slight breeze to wash over her, her dark curls fell partially into her face, catching on her lashes. Ana's eyes slid shut for the briefest second, envisioning the interior of a nearby pub- and with a strong grip on the wand in her pocket, Ana twisted on the spot and vanished into the very air.

* * *

"She's been gone all night," Sirius muttered aloud, turning his eyes from the grandfather clock and allowing them to fall on a very ruffled Mrs Weasley. "You shouldn't have insulted her like that."  
Mrs Weasley refused to look at him, instead standing over the stove, stirring the pot of broth for lunch. "I was merely stating my opinion," she replied tersely.  
"She's got a lot of pride, that one," Sirius mused, "Sort of reminds me of myself when I was younger- especially with that jacket of hers. Running out of the house in such a blaze of fury- although I reckon she's got a bit more sense than I did, it won't be long now before she's back."  
"I-"Mrs Weasley faltered, setting aside the spoon, "-I hope you're right…"  
"I should be," Sirius assured her, "she's not entirely like me, she's got plenty more brains. I suspect she'll be a bit embarrassed even."  
Mrs Weasley turned to peer up at the clock hopelessly, "Even counting Fred and George, mine normally don't storm out after having a round, certainly not in the evening."  
"She's not your child, Molly," Sirius reminded her. "She's more estranged than I was- her parents shucked away in Azkaban before she could hardly form a sentence, a Muggle of a grandmother whose wanted nothing to do with our world since her son and daughter-in-law." Sirius shook his head pityingly, "And it's just too dangerous for her to be around her sister and her family nowadays, I'd say she feels pretty lost about now."  
Mrs Weasley turned a hopeless look to the man, "Has she told you all this?"  
"Some of it," Sirius admitted. "She's told me some, only because I've been through a similar situation."  
"No, that's not it." Mrs Weasley disagreed, shaking her head, "Ana hasn't had much of a parental influence- you're the closest thing to a father she has."

The roof collapsing couldn't have disturbed the crawling grin on Sirius' face. The wolf-like grin changed his face almost entirely- gone was the shallow-faced, desolate man who had faced years in Azkaban, instead, for a moment, he was the man he had been before that, handsome and unruly as he had been when a teenager.  
"Oh," he replied, sounding very pleased indeed. "I hadn't presumed... I-"  
"Oh don't pretend," Mrs Weasley chided amiably.  
"Right, sorry," Sirius muttered, although he continued to grin.

* * *

Smelling of flat liquor and sweat, Ana timidly opened the door to Grimmauld Place- her hair was in disarray, curls tangled and stuck out at odd angles, her clothes were rumpled, shoes mysteriously absent. Her tired expression spoke measures, and it was obvious she had been out drinking from her stale breath.  
Sirius appeared in the doorway of the entrance hall instantly, as though he had been waiting at the doorway with bated breath.  
Ana halted just inside the doorway, she shifted into a mildly defensive form preparing for a shouting match. But Sirius only gave her an odd smile, "There's a bit of lunch saved for you on the stove if you'd like it- Weasley's are out on a shopping trip for groceries, so I reckon the shower is free."  
Ana gave him a grateful look, and as she passed by him to reach the stairs, Sirius stretched out an arm and wound it around her shoulders in a side hug.  
"Don't worry us all so much next time," he muttered into her hair.  
Ana leant against him limply, appreciative of his understanding. She nodded shyly, and muttered a quiet, "Thanks."  
"Don't worry about it," he responded lightly, a grin on his face. "We've all had those moments."

* * *

**WELL HERE I GO AGAIN- MAKING A CHARACTER CLOSE TO SIRIUS 'EFFING BLACK ONLY FOR HIM TO BE SLAUGHTERED LATER ON! *cough*  
****Ehm, excuse me. Did I spoil a portion of the book?- Oh, who am I kidding, I reckon everyone who had read the actual books saw it coming.  
I'm a bit upset with myself if you can't tell. I just HAD to go and set myself up for tears...  
Ah well, it makes for a good story.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


	7. Chapter 7

**Review Response:**

**fanqueen08love- Thanks! I'm glad you like Ana! Any suggestions for improvement would be vastly appreciated!**

**spannieren - Thank you! Every review inspires me to write more and better!**

**Hm910ya- I am sorry, my friend! But I simply must murder my most beloved character of the Harry Potter series. She has the ring as a reminder to always remain brave. ;_; Here's another chapter with a very brief "touchy-ish" scene of Ana/George!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

A slender, raven-haired woman emerged from the grand doors of the Palace of Westminster, her stride was long and quick, pronounced by the heels she wore. She strode down from the steps, ignorant of the news cast that had streamed down upon her the second she had stepped into the late morning sun.  
"Emmeline, Emmeline McDougal! Ma'am! What are the House of Common's decisions to re-instil Black's manhunt?"  
The woman's face creased with agitation, further deepening her wrinkles, which she did not bother to conceal. "The House of Commons wishes to maintain the confidentiality of this verdict until we reach a conclusive proposal," she replied, unblinkingly. Her quick pace forced the press to nearly sprint after her in their attempts to speak to the woman.  
"So what you're saying is, that you haven't made the decision yet?"  
"_No,_" Emmeline came at a standstill quite suddenly- the surprise of the action caused a few journalists to jog past- "_What I'm saying is_, the House of Commons has decided that until we make a tangible course of action in which Black can be successfully secured, we do not wish to reveal anything to the public at risk of confusion and potentially informing Black."  
"And what do you think of the matter, Miss McDougal?"  
The furrows seemed to increase drastically on the aged woman's face, "_What do I think_? I think that this state of matter is absolutely repulsive! And I'd like to publically announce my resignation from the House of Common's court. Good-day!"  
The woman stormed off- vanishing around the corner with the rabid reporters still on her tail.

* * *

"There's no denying that you're a great actor, Ana," Sirius mused; he fumbled with the remote helplessly until Remus took pity on him, taking the remote and flicking off the programme.  
"I'm impressed you managed such an accurate portrayal of McDougal," Remus remarked, raising his brows, "It's a shame what happened to her…"  
Remus shook his head, erasing the image of McDougal's mangled corpse. Ana had heard the account of McDougal's death first hand from Mad-Eye, who had been telling Sirius about the sudden attack on McDougal's family home. Apparently, the McDougal's were causing far too much trouble and making it difficult for mysterious going-on's to slip by unnoticed by Muggles.  
The McDougal's had been butchered in their own home, Emmeline, her husband, two daughters and even her own grandson- "No more than five years old," said Mad-Eye, gruffly. They had all been found in the living area, tea cooling on the stove with little china cups set out. It seemed they had just been prepared to spend tea-time together when _whoever _decided to swoop in. "They swooped in through the window- you can tell by the way the glass shattered inwards. I suspect they're transporting themselves the way they did in the last war, with their evaporation and condensation techniques. Found some scorch marks on the walls as evidence," Mad-Eye had said. At the time, Ana had pondered why Mad-Eye and Sirius allowed her to eavesdrop, as her very-near proximity then was a bit too obvious. But now, she was grateful for the information, even if the idea left a churning, ill feeling in the pit of her stomach. To be included in the manner made Ana feel much more ensured of her use in the Order- and Ana suspected that Mad-Eye had allowed it only because of her tantrum the other day.  
The memory brought an embarrassed flush to her face, no doubt flaring red on her normally pallid cheeks- to hide this Ana quickly dropped her head down in pretense of taking a drink from her mug.

As she did this, the papers- maps of the Ministry and Hogwarts- on the table began to rustle, as though a slight breeze was wafting over them. Ana raised her head at this, frowning and looking around the table. It seemed all the others, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, and Mr and Mrs Weasley understood what the rustling meant.  
Swiftly, Remus booted the papers from the table- the second he did, the table erupted in a great flurry of stock-orange flames. Ana shrieked in surprise- falling back from her chair and sloshing her coffee all over her front. She had expected to be burned, but was quite surprised when a pleasantly warm feeling washed over her instead.  
As quickly as the flames came, they disappeared into ash, leaving a small sheet of yellowed parchment in its wake. Tonks snagged it, knocking over a slightly charred teacup that had missed Remus's sweeping arm.  
"This is Dumbledore's writing!" Tonks informed them, her brown eyes swept the page, a look of dread touching her face the second her eyes raised.

"Potter's been attacked by Dementors," Tonks stated to the group, in a low, anxious voice. "Mundungus left him to go buy some illegal cauldrons and that's when they attack Potter and his cousin."  
"What in hell were Dementors doing outside of Azkaban?" Ana whispered, mostly to herself. She had bent over to gather the papers from the floor, attempting to busy her hands.  
"He defended himself says Dumbledore," Sirius muttered aloud, having snatched the paper from Tonks. "Just as he should- although the Ministry is taking it as a breach of Misuse and Underage Magic. Seems they already sent him a letter saying he's been expelled."  
"Damn," Mr Weasley cursed, taking a blank sheet of parchment from the pile in Ana's arms, "damn, damn, damn, damn it all!" He began to scribble on the sheet furiously, ignorant of his messy writing and the blots of black ink he was leaving. With lavish wave of his wand the sheet of parchment rolled up and sealed itself; and still muttering curses to himself, Mr Weasley flew from the room, no doubt to fetch one of the many owls that had a habit of perching outside on the windowsills.  
On Mr Weasley's leave, the kitchen table erupted into brilliant flames once again- Ana who had been strategically placing the papers and teacups back onto the table, shrieked as the flames jumped up onto her sleeves, searing the very edge of them until Remus had the elegance to dump the remainder of his tea onto her.  
Sirius caught the letter from the ashes, and skimmed it. "Dumbledore's at the Ministry- they've sent Harry a second letter revoking what they've said, although he's to have a disciplinary hearing. I ought to send Harry a letter too- just in case."  
Sirius hurried from the table- snatching a small sheet of parchment from the cluster on the floor and vanishing up the stairs.

Ana drew her wand from her pocket finally, mumbling swears as she vanished the papers and teacups. She shrugged off her charred and sodden sweater, tossing it onto a chair in the corner next to a rotting bag of dead rats.

"Well," Tonks sighed, clapping her hands together, "We ought to make a plan to retrieve Potter then- Molly can you send Mad-Eye and Kingsley a letter explaining what's happened?"  
Mrs Weasley nodded, hustling off from the kitchen. Ana stood awkwardly in the kitchen for a moment, avoiding eye contact with either Remus or Tonks before she mumbled an incoherent excuse and fleeing up the stairs to leave the couple on their own.  
When Ana reached her bedroom, she found the door closed- and when she tried the knob she found that the door was locked. She brandished her wand muttering, "Alohamora," and trying the knob again. This time the door creaked open, when her presence was made obvious Fred and George ceased in their attempts to stuff things beneath her bed.

Ana closed the door behind her, raising her brows at the scene before her, "Why are you in my room?"  
Fred grinned toothily, "We figured you could help us once the Order business was finished- what's all the hustle about?"  
Ana hesitated for a full minute, pondering her rights and Mrs Weasley's possible anger for informing her children in Order matters...  
"Ah, fuck." Ana swore, tiredly rubbing her eyes, "You'll hear about it soon enough, I suspect. Harry Potter's been attacked by Dementors; The Ministry tried to expel him, but Dumbledore shunted it out of them. Once a few more of our members are here, we're going to make a plan to relocate him."  
Ana carefully stepped over a string of Extendable Ears, and seated herself in front of her bed, drawing out whatever they had stuffed beneath it, "Any way, what're we working on today?"  
George shuffled closer to her, his arm skimmed hers as he reached across her to draw a bag of black powder from beneath the bed. In their hurry to stuff it away, the bag had toppled over and spilt black powder onto the floor- George made a great show of sweeping up every ground.  
Fred struggled to hide a grin at the sight. "We were thinking of making fireworks, you know, what with all the hustle down up and down the stairs, we figured a bit of noise would go unnoticed."  
"Wonderful, I'd love to set myself on fire again," Ana muttered sourly.  
"Again?"  
Ana focused on the shell of the firework intently and briefly murmured something along the lines of, "Tables setting on fire," and a mutter of, "accidentally sacrificing teacups."

* * *

**Yet another chapter. Thank God for March Break this week, I was about to go absolutely insane with how under-productive I have been as of late. This is, by far, one of my favourite chapters, simply because the description of everything seems so much more intriguing than it has been.**

Reviews inspire me!

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


	8. Chapter 8

**Review Response:**

**Hm910ya- Well, I'll tell you one thing- I am certainly enjoying my week off! Have you had your Spring Break yet? Thank you! I avidly look forward to your reviews, they make me happy :D**

**XxNatalieSkye169xX- Wow, really? What a coincidence! Luckily for you, this chapter is primarily George/Ana! Enjoy~ **

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

"I swear, I've lost about four inches of hair since we've started working on fireworks," Ana grumbled to herself, peering into the mirror and eyeing her dark curls. No matter how many times Ana bathed, or how long she stayed in the tub, she –and both Fred and George- had taken to smelling faintly of soot. Ana hoped the smell would fade with time, until then she vowed to bathe every night until her toes and fingers were pruny.  
"Ana!" George crowed, entering her room without bothering to knock. "Harry's here!"  
"He is, is he?" Ana murmured, shyly looking away. Admittedly, George's presence left her feeling oddly disturbed. Her stomach always seemed to be fluttery- as if she were going to vomit- and her actions were always more shaky. Mercifully, she wasn't totally oblivious- but her crush on George could interfere with their business. What good of an inventor was she if she couldn't think straight?  
"You okay?" George asked, looking concerned, "I figured you'd be down in the kitchen for that big meeting."  
Ana managed a weak smile, her nerves alight and jittery. "I-I'm not feeling so well today; Sirius figured I ought to get some rest."

In truth, Ana hadn't been allowed to attend the meeting for whatever reason. Professor McGonagall had come bearing a message from Dumbledore saying that Ana mustn't attend. And that the others weren't to inform her of the meeting.  
It had left her bitter and angry- the burden of uselessness had surged up in her, and Ana was tempted to grab her jacket and leave in a flurry of anger yet again. Although if it happened a second time, Sirius may not be so welcoming. Homelessness didn't suit her- and the money Ana had saved up with all her waitressing jobs had been dutifully invested into purchasing more black powder for fireworks.

George had leant forwards suddenly, resting the palm of his hand on her forehead, pushing up her bangs as he did. Ana blinked, a sudden rush of heat surged to her face- dizziness washed over her-.  
"You _are_ a little warm," George noted aloud. His breath washed over her, smelling hazily of after-dinner mint, and with an even fainter whiff of soot. Ana couldn't help but let her eyes flutter closed for the briefest second and murmur, "Am I?"  
George seemed to draw nearer; the hand he lay on her forehead drifted down, grazing her ear as he cupped the side of her head. He drew her gently to him, their lips were a mere whisper away as he lazily murmured, "Just a bit…"  
George's lips had just skimmed hers when the door burst open yet again- "Yo' Georgie, I- _ah shit._"  
The pair broke apart quickly; Ana turned her back to the twins, hiding her no-doubt beat red face in her hands.  
She knew that Fred was grinning as wide as he possibly could, while George blushed scarlet, and was no doubt tossing glares.  
"I-uh- see you at supper then," George muttered weakly to her back. Ana nodded, her face still buried in her hands, "Okay."  
The pair left, Fred muttering a mocking, _"See you at supper?"_

But Ana did not come down for supper. Even when Mrs Weasley came knocking almost timidly on her door, calling out softly, "There's a plate for you downstairs, dear. Bill's here, he'd like to talk to you."  
But Ana had ignored her, instead allowing a few convincing snores to roll from her mouth from where she lay beneath the covers, eyes open and wide awake.  
In the end, it was Sirius who had come to find her- and the second he had saw her blushing expression, and heated looks down at her hands, he had went back down the stairs, flinging his head back with his bark-like laughter.

* * *

It was early morning when Ana woke, curled beneath the covers and quickly running out of air. Ana shoved the covers off, gasping in slightly humid oxygen. She passed a hand over her face, thankfully her cheeks had lost their red hue and returned to their normally pallid shade overnight.  
She rolled from the bed, standing and allowing her penguin pajama pants to fall back over her ankles. Ana ran her fingers through her hair, tugging lightly at its knots, retying it after a minute of pulling.  
Ana ignored the mirror as she passed by it, starting down the stairs and to the kitchen. Mrs Weasley and Bill were the only other ones awake when Ana entered the kitchen. Mrs Weasley tossed her a smile from where she was stooped over the stove, and Bill who gestured her closer from where he sat at the kitchen table.  
"I'm glad you're awake," Bill told her quietly, shooting a careful to his mother. "I was afraid I was going to have wake you up before I left."  
"Sorry," Ana apologized tersely, "I wasn't feeling very well the other night."  
"Sirius told me," Bill replied, a grin creeping up on his face.  
Ana turned her furiously blushing face away, silently cursing Sirius's intuition and loud mouth.  
Bill tossed another cautious look to his mother, leaning closer to her. "McGonagall gave me a letter and instructions for you before she left the other day."  
Ana shot a wary look to Mrs Weasley, accepting the letter Bill slid across the table.  
"What're the instructions?" Ana murmured. Bill kept his voice low, his eyes glittering with the same mischievous glint Fred and George possessed. "Dumbledore says that if you have any concerns over his request, speak to him tonight as he'll be coming sometime around midnight."  
She gave a nod, hastily tucking the letter into the waistband of her pajama pants, vowing to read it the second she could get up to her room.

Mrs Weasley looked over her shoulder, "Breakfast, dear? I'm sure you're hungry."  
Ana gave an embarrassed smile as her stomach chose that moment to relish in a snarl, "Just a tad, thanks."  
"We'll be cleaning up the draw room today, there is a nest in the curtains that I want to get at today. After you eat, I suggest you change into some old clothes."  
Ana nodded, and hastened to eat the plate of eggs Mrs Weasley lay before her. The second Ana was finished, she flashed up the stairs- after saying farewell to Bill who went off to work-and to her room, where she immediately shut the door and extracted the letter from her waistband.  
Curiosity beseeched her, and Ana tore the letter open with vigor.

_"Dear, Miss Anastasia Colt.  
Your actions on last week's Sunday, and the immense aid you have provided for the Order of the Phoenix has proven to myself, and I'm sure to many others of your cleverness and commendable performance. And so, I would wish for you to further aid me. I will clarify once before I proceed, in stating that if you find that you are unable, you may disregard my request. However, if you choose to accept my request, you will find my gratitude absolute.  
My request is quite simple, during your last and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I would wish for you to befriend a Ministry-stated official, who has taken the occupation of Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. You will find during this task that this woman, Delores Umbridge, is heavily influenced by our Minister of Magic, in seeing that Lord Voldemort's return is, in fact, false.-"  
_Ana visibly winced upon seeing the written name.  
_"I would wish for you to commit to her ideals- which may be a tedious, and straining task, but in doing so will permit you to infiltrate the Ministry with ease.  
I will wish for you to consider my request, and upon making your decision, I will wish for you to inform me of either your acceptance or refusal of this task on the evening of August the eleventh.  
With regards,  
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."_

* * *

Ana entered the draw room nearly twenty minutes after her abrupt leave from the kitchen. She had donned a pair of jeans and a too-large sweater.  
"Are you all right, dear? You look a little pale." Mrs Weasley called from over the sound of spraying doxicide.  
Ana nodded dismissively, "I'm okay- brilliant actually." She shot a grin to George who had shot her an inquisitive, troubled look.  
Ana snagged an old rag from an armchair, and tied the bright green material over her mouth and nose, snagging a black bottle of doxicide and reigning an attack on the curtains beside the others.  
The dark haired boy, and newest edition to the household, shot Ana a look of genuine curiosity, to which Ana smiled at.  
'Lo, Potter," Ana greeted him laxly, calmly spraying a particularly large doxy in the face as it lunged at her. "Welcome to the house- I'm Ana, Ana Colt."  
"It's nice to meet you," said Harry, his eyes fell to her right hand, narrowing in on the silver ring furled around her middle finger. "You're a Gryffindor?"  
"I am," Ana muttered, irritation clear on her features, she turned her back to him briefly to lay siege on a hoard of doxies who were making an attempt to flee on their little feet. She turned back to Harry, any sign of previous aggravation had vanished completely. "How're you fairing so far?"  
"Er- okay, I guess." Harry replied stiffly, unsure of how to take her sudden change in emotions.  
"Excellent," Ana responded, awkwardly. Sparing them both, Ana shuffled over to the other side of Hermione and set to aid Hermione in overtaking the mass of doxies on her end.  
Ridding of the doxies and cleaning out the glass-fronted cabinets took the entirety of the morning- Ana was grateful for something to pass the time- anything to speed up the time it took until she was to see Dumbledore. In fact, they were all so busy, she was unable to speak to Fred and George- Ana would heartily deny it if someone had asked, but she was beginning to grow rather fond of the twins. George had been shooting her nervous looks all morning- it was beginning to get on her nerves feeling his eyes on her constantly.

"We'll be heading down to the middle floor's dining room now; you three, Fred, George and Ana, can you clean up those stray doxies and tie up the trash bags?'  
Fred shot a mischievous look to the pair, grinning toothily. "Actually I need a restroom break, I'm sure you two can handle it by yourselves."  
Before anyone could argue, Fred strode from the room with the others, diligently swinging the door shut behind him.

"Leaving us to clean up all by ourselves…" George grumbled in an undertone. He swiveled to Ana, a blush rising up his throat as he sheepishly scratching the nape of his neck. Ana observed this, concealing a blush herself. Quietly, she untied the cloth, and tossed it onto the armchair with the others. Her heart began to beat in tantrum against her chest at what she was about to do.  
"Look, Ana." George gave a nervous cough, clearing his throat, "I understand that the other day you did really want to kiss me, and I'm sorry if I-"  
"Idiot," Ana chided him softly, a low smile sprawling across her face as she reached forward.  
"What-"Ana stood on her toes, tugging down the cloth concealing his mouth, using it to yank him downwards toward her. Their lips collided with a sudden force- nothing more than a prolonged peck. The pair broke apart simultaneously, catching their breaths, lips skimming the other's as they gasped for air.  
"Bloody hell," George muttered admiringly, "you're sort of amazing, you know."  
Ana adopted an odd quirk of the lips. "Yeah, I'm well aware," she murmured, her tone bemused.  
Once the two regained their breath, George tentatively linked his hands around her waist, "Want to –uh- again..?"  
"Definitely."

Their lips met once more- Ana slung her arms around his neck, bringing him impossibly closer. Tongues met. Ana felt a surge of emotion, like a pleasantly squirming sensation in her stomach.- But the squirming intensified, Ana came to a realisation that the squirming wasn't her stomach.-  
Ana drew back with a languish _pop_, and peered downwards, George's pocket squirmed and buzzed with life, as though he had pocketed an entire beehive.  
Ana frowned up at him, her mouth quirked with bemusement, "Is that a doxy in your pocket?"

* * *

**"...or are you just happy to see me?" ;D  
I enjoyed writing this chapter- definitely a lot more romance beginning than in the rest of my works. (I suggest you check them out *shamelessly promoting*)  
Dumbledore in the next chapter- and we'll see what to do with Ana and George's awkward relationship!- Any suggestions would be great!**

**Reviews inspire me! :D**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**-AL**


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